Many cars and trucks, both foreign and domestic, use "C" clamps in the assembly of emergency or hand brake systems. As the name implies, a "C" clamp is shaped roughly like a "C" and has a pair of legs extending from a rounded connecting portion. A "C" clamp is a popular form of a split washer which is a fastening device having two legs extending from a connecting portion. The washer legs will be separated by a gap of a certain width, and the washer may be opened and closed by adjusting the width of the gap. The "open" width of the gap is greater than the "closed" width of the gap. The closed width can be, but is not necessarily, equal zero. The inner surfaces of the connecting portion and legs of the washer may be viewed as defining an inner circumference of the washer. The width of the gap and the inner circumference of the washer may be collectively termed the "inner geometry" of the washer.
A brake system will usually include a brake lever which must be pivotally connected to a brake shoe. The brake lever typically includes a projection, or a pivot pin, having a groove and a distal portion beyond this groove. The pivot pin extends through an opening in the brake shoe, this opening usually being only slightly larger than circumference the pivot pin. A closed split washer, or "C" clamp is installed within the groove. In other words, the inner circumference of the washer is less than the circumference of the projection and the washer is trapped in the groove which is between the brake shoe and the distal portion of the pivot pin. The washer is of a sufficient thickness so that, even in a closed condition, its outer circumference extends well beyond the circumference of the projection. In this manner, the pivot pin cannot pass through the opening in the brake shoe.
In cars and trucks, brake shoes wear out on a regular basis and the replacement of brake shoes is a routine maintenance item. To remove a brake shoe, it must be disconnected from the brake lever. Thus the split washer must be removed so that the pivot pin may pass through the hole in the brake shoe. To remove the washer, its legs must be pried far enough apart so that it can be slipped off the distal portion of the pivot pin. In other words, the width of the gap between the washer legs must be increased until the inner geometry of the washer is sufficient to remove the washer from the pin.
In the past, conventional tools such as screw drivers, pliers, drill chisels and other instruments were crudely employed to open the split washer. Use of these conventional tools to manipulate split washers, while sometimes eventually successful, were a common cause of frustration and skinned knuckles to the mechanics performing the task. Additionally, removing split washers with these conventional tools was time consuming due to their incompatibility with the shape of the split washer. In fact, most mechanics would agree that in the brake shoe replacement process, removing the split washer with conventional tools took longer than actually removing the old brake shoe and installing a new one.
A need therefore remains for a tool which can quickly and easily remove a split washer from a brake lever pivot pin.